Blast from the Past
by SunnydaleGirl
Summary: Someone from her past needs Willow's help. Can she cope with their history and do what's needed?
1. Chapter One

**Summary:** Between Spike, Oz and Angel's demon buddy Christopher Willow's up to her neck in jealous men but she's stuck in the center of them because Oz needs her help to "calm the wolf inside" which, recently, has begun to grow more fierce. Unable to control it any longer Oz ran to Angel who, in turn, ran to Willow who is fed up with all the men in her life. Can the feisty redhead help her old boyfriend and hold back her own urges to kick some male ass?

**Disclaimer:** Most the characters belong to Joss but some are my own creation.

**Pairings:** W/S, C/A, Anya/X, B/R.

**Rating:** Um, probably PG for a little language.

**Author's Note:** Oz split (for the same reason and in the same way as in season four), Spike was chipped by the Initiative, Riley never left but Tara did, Buffy never died and Dawn doesn't exist. Oh, and absolutely **no** Buffy-fawning by Spike!!!

Willow was mumbling under her breath, walking towards the Magic Box, not paying the least bit of attention to her surroundings. Not surprising, then, when she was sideswiped: gripped around the waist from behind and thrown to the ground. The redhead bounced once atop the sidewalk and sighed agitatedly. She was so not in the mood for this tonight. Supporting herself on her arms Willow glued the vampire, for it _was_ a vampire, in a thoroughly pissed off stare and, nudging her fingers against the twig lying beside her, watched the piece of wood fly into the air and stake the vampire where he stood.

          Huffing, Willow pushed herself to her feet, dusting the dirt from her sweater. "Teach you to piss off a witch," she said as she stepped over the pile of ash and continued her trek – still mumbling under her breath.

          Turning the corner onto Gale Drive, and stopping just outside the Magic Box, Willow let out a squeal and did a little giddy-dance before catching herself – looking around quickly to make sure no one had seen that. Clearing her throat she started to wave her index finger in the air before her, making little circles, until silver threads began to appear at her fingertip. Whispering the incantation she had spent all night trying to remember the silver threads hooked together and spread larger and larger until a spiraling portal, pulsing and humming, sat only feet in front of Willow. Picking up a small pebble from beside her foot Willow tossed it into the portal and heard a _plop_ sound before it whizzed away.

          Smiling her satisfaction Willow spoke another series of words and the portal faded away. "Oh, I'm so good."

          The gang looked up as Willow entered the Magic Box, that annoying little bell ringing as the door opened and closed. Xander and Anya were pretending to research though Willow knew they were really playing footsy under the table. Giles was counting the money in the cash register. Buffy and Riley were walking out of the training room. Spike was leaning against the wall smoking. Willow paused and did a head count. There were two other people sitting on the couch, only the top of their heads peeping out. She was about to ask who the newbie's were until one of them stood and faced her. Angel.

          "Not that I'm not ecstatic to see you or anything, Angel" Willow spoke, "because I'm totally stoked but, what are you doing here?"

          Angel flashed that lopsided grin of his. "Can't I just visit some old friends?"

          "Of course you can," Willow responded. "But you don't. You drop in when something's run-a-muck and you need a little help from the Scooby's."

          "She's got a point, Dead Boy," Xander added.

          Willow dropped her bag onto the floor and plopped down beside Xander at the table. "And who's that?"

Angel glanced behind him as the stranger stepped to his side. Willow eyed the man from head to toe: sandy blonde hair poking out beneath a tattered fedora hat and odd violet eyes, jeans and a navy blue tee-shirt underneath a shabby brown coat. There was nothing outwardly remarkable about the man but Willow sensed a power lying within. "A demon," she stated flatly. "Interesting. Now, what can we do for you?"

          Buffy laughed, tossing her towel at the redhead. "Such a drama queen, Wills."

          "I am not," Willow defended.

          Everyone in the store, including Giles, - excluding Angel's demon friend, of course – scoffed and rolled their eyes. Willow narrowed her eyes at Giles, shocked by his inclusion in such a reaction. "Sorry, Willow," the ex-Watcher shrugged. "But you are quite the over dramatist."

          "Anarchy," Willow huffed. "Total anarchy. I'm deeply ashamed of every one of you."

          Buffy raised a questioning eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest, and asked, "Are you through?"

          Willow thought for a moment then answered, "Yeah, I think that about does it."

          "Good, because – "

          Buffy was never able to finish sentence seeing as a large, roaring demon slammed through the Magic Box door, throwing the little bell from its holder, and knocked the Slayer halfway across the store. Groaning, Buffy got to her feet and retaliated. It didn't take the Scooby's long to dispose of the demon, using the portal Willow had perfected just that night, but in the course of the fight much of the Magic Box's tables had been destroyed and the gang ended up dripping in purple ooze.

          "Tastes like chicken."

          "Xander," the other's chided, moving automatically to clean up the mess. Sorting through the pieces of wood the Scooby's attempted to clutter each table separately from the others so Willow could "work her mojo" and reassemble them.

          Angel's demon friend, whose name, as it turned out, was Christopher sidled up beside Anya and asked, "Things always this interesting around here?"

          "What this?" Anya laughed. "Oh, this is nothing the buildings still intact."


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

          After checking, and re-checking the cash register Anya was satisfied that the money was safe and Xander was able to drag her from the Magic Box. The gang had agreed to meet back there in an hour, after cleaning themselves up. Buffy complained the whole time she and Willow walked back to their dorm – apparently demon ooze doesn't wash out of cashmere. You'd think after five years of slaying and coming home every night with some form of blood or entrails on her clothing Buffy would have figured out some method of dry cleaning. Then again, Willow thought, Buffy was never very good at laundry to begin with.

          Sure enough, an hour later all Slayerettes were present and accounted for back at the Magic Box plus Christopher who seemed to be wearing the same clothing – cleaned obviously.

          "So," Giles spoke first, "why don't we get down to business."

          Settling down beside Spike on the couch Willow laid her head against his chest, hugging her arms around his waist. Spike adjusted his seat, putting his arm about Willow's shoulder and resting his cheek on the top of her head. Riley sat at the other end of the couch, Buffy at his feet leaning against his legs. Xander and Anya sat side-by-side at the nearest table, their hands clasped between them. Giles had resumed his position behind the counter and Angel now leaned against the wall, Christopher beside him.

          Willow's eyes swept over her friends "Everyone all comfy?" Heads nodded and a few of her friends mumbled a response. "Fabulous. Now we can get this party started."

          Angel grinned at the redhead. "Actually Willow, I came here to see you. Only you."

          Perplexed, Willow glanced from Buffy to Giles to Angel then back to Buffy. "I don't get it," she said.

          "Jeez Wills," Buffy laughed, rolling her eyes. "For the brains of this operation you sure are slow sometimes."

          "Not slow," Willow corrected, "just thrown off by surprises."

          "Oh, of course."

          Willow narrowed her eyes at the Slayer. "I'm not liking that sarcasm, missy."

          "Willow? Could we focus please?"

          Turning her head Willow pinned Angel with the same look. "Don't even get me started on you, Mr. Broody-man."

          Chuckling, Angel lifted his hands in surrender. "I yield. Now, if it's alright by you, I'd like to get down to business."

          Shrugging, Willow relaxed against Spike and heard him still chuckling under his breath. "Just so long as you keep things copacetic."

          Willow cringed the moment the word 'copacetic' left her lips knowing, immediately, that her friends would start singing.  They didn't disappoint.

          "And you just don't get it you keep it copacetic, and you learn to accept it you know it's so pathetic."

          Looking at Spike whose face was red with laughter Willow asked, "Why didn't you stop me? You knew it was coming and yet you let it happen."

          "Sorry, love. It's just so damn funny."

          Once Buffy, Xander, Anya and Riley wrapped up the last chorus and Giles, Spike, Angel and Christopher stopped laughing long enough to breathe – though Spike and Angel don't technically breathe – Willow managed to squeeze in her question again: "What are you doing here, Angel?"

          "We need you in LA," he answered.

          "Why? Whatever it is I'm sure it can be handled from Sunnydale."

          Angel ran his fingers through his hair, which meant he was nervous. "Not exactly."

          Willow was now intrigued, and annoyed that Angel kept dodging a direct answer. "What's the problem?"

          "Oz."


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

          Willow went tumbling, ass over kettle, down the long road known as Memory Lane – though Willow preferred the term Hell Drive. It was hard enough to move on after Oz. He had been Willow's first true love and the hitch: he had loved her back. Willow had actually believed that Oz was her match in life, the one she was meant to grow old with. She had been wrong.

          "The wolf is inside me, Willow. All the time," he had tried to explain to her, unable to meet her eyes which were flooded with heartbroken tears. "I don't know anymore where the line is between me and it and until I figure out what that means I shouldn't be around you. Or anyone."

          Willow had pleaded with Oz, begged him not to leave her and forget her but his mind was set and when all was said and done Willow could ask only one question, "Don't you love me?"

          "My whole life I've never loved anything else."

          The after effects of that breakup, however, will never be forgotten. Drowning in her grief Willow had turned to magic and, as always, things didn't turn out so well. Giles went blind, Xander became a demon magnet and Buffy, well Buffy ended up engaged to Spike. Willow was still apologizing for that screw up.

          Time passed, as it has the habit of doing, and the fates brought a new love into Willow's life: Tara. It had been wholly unexpected but it turned out to be exactly what Willow needed and before she had time to realize it the redhead found herself hopelessly in love with the blonde witch. Time, however, is incredibly ironic and just as her new relationship with Tara was starting to take off Oz performs an amazing reappearing act and Willow's life is once more turned upside-down.

          At the end of the day, though, Willow was a different person then she had been before Oz left to "find himself" and that part of her heart that he had left hollow had been filled by Tara. Willow had moved on and Oz had been too late.

          "You're happy?"

          Willow had met Oz's eyes somewhat reluctantly. She felt, oddly, as though she'd somehow betrayed Oz by moving on. It was foolish, Willow knew, but the emotion hung at the back of her throat nonetheless. For so long Oz had been her world and Willow couldn't help but think if only she'd waited a little longer…

          "I am," she answered lowly. "I can't really explain it but…"

          Oz had taken Willow's hand in his own and smiled that Oz-smile. "It may be safer for both of us if you don't."

          One last kiss on the cheek and Willow forced herself to walk away. Oz never saw the tears that stained her cheeks or heard the grief in her sobs. He was gone, for good, and Willow was forced to truly say goodbye.

          "Wills?"

          Jarred from her thoughts, and pulled away from Hell Drive, Willow turned her head away from the window. She, Spike and Christopher were riding in Angel's old clunker of a car while the others followed in Xander's van – actually it was his mom's van but who keeps track of technicalities anyway, right? "Sorry, what was that Spike?"

          The bleached vampire grinned and shook his head. "Don't worry about it, love."

          Sighing, Willow nodded absentmindedly and turned her face back to the blackened window, starring out of a small paint-free hole she scratched with her fingernail. Noting the road sign on the side of Interstate 5, which they passed at 75 mph, Willow gauged that they were about an hour outside of Los Angeles and probably another fifteen from the Hyperion Hotel – home of Angel Investigations.

          Taking a deep breath, Willow prayed for the strength she needed to handle seeing Oz again. "I can do this."


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

          Pulling into the Hyperion parking lot sealed, for Willow, the utter reality of what was happening and she was gripped by fear. Trembling despite her efforts not to Willow starred out the window of Angel's car unable to bring movement to her limbs. She couldn't do this.

          "Pet?" Gently touching her arm Spike urged Willow to her feet, supporting her around the waist.

          Clinging to Spike, afraid that if he let go she collapse to the ground, Willow allowed him to lead her inside. They passed a small courtyard overrun with ivy and vines, eerily shadowed and cold, before finding themselves standing outside the back terrace.

          Peering through the hazy glass Willow glimpsed a flash of light auburn hair and heard the echo of a familiar laugh. Oz. Willow's heart swelled for a moment as all her past with Oz welled, suddenly, to her mind. Memories long since forgotten surfaced and pains long since shut out broke through. Everything came flooding back and it all felt as though it were happening for the time all over again.

          "I'm going to ask you to go out with me tomorrow night," Oz had almost stuttered over his words the first time he got up the nerve to ask her out but Willow had found it adorable. "And I'm kind of nervous about it, actually. It's interesting."

          Smiling, Willow had calmed his fears, "Oh, well if it helps at all, I'm going to say yes."

          "Yeah, it helps. It creates a comfort zone." Willow had always loved Oz's sarcasm. "So, do you want to go out with me tomorrow night?"

          Willow's answer however, had been different then expected, "Oh, I can't."

          "Oh." It hurt Willow to see Oz's face fall the way it did. "Well, see, I like that you're unpredictable."

          "No, it's just that it's Buffy's birthday," Willow hastily explained. "We're throwing her a surprise party. You could come, if you want to."

          Shuffling on his feet Oz had shrugged and responded, "I don't want to crash."

          "No, its fine," Willow insisted then added, "You could be my date."

          The glow in Oz's face made Willow's heart flutter inside her chest and her cheeks start to blush. "Alright then," Oz smiled. "I'm in."

          Choking out a laugh Willow pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and watched Oz pace back and forth across the large lobby then, letting out an exasperated breath, flop down on the couch beside Cordelia – laughing about something the brunette seer had said. Looking at the former Dingo's guitarist Willow couldn't help but notice, really notice, that lack of passion-filled love she'd held to for so long. Oz had been her first love, true, but he was also her past love and though he would always hold a piece of her heart the stoic werewolf no longer consumed all of it.

          Willow had moved on and given her heart to another.

          "You ready for this, red?"

          Willow looked up into Spike's eyes, taking his hand in her own, and lifted herself onto her toes, placing a kiss on bleached vampire's lips. "Absolutely."

          Returning her smile Spike squeezed his redhead's hand reassuringly and reached his hand out, gripping the door knob. One final, deep breath and Willow was thrown into and encounter she had never dreamed would happen.


End file.
